


Doggedly

by JKRT



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Collars, M/M, Master/Pet, Subspace, Teasing, Unresolved Sexual Tension, a bit of magical compulsion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:53:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23195056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JKRT/pseuds/JKRT
Summary: “Downright beastly,” Felix deadpans. He hefts the chain, collar clinking from the end of it. “Maybe we should be putting this on you.”
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius
Comments: 6
Kudos: 64





	Doggedly

**Author's Note:**

> There's no enough pet play fic in the world, tbh.  
> This one is super tame, all things considered, but warning for canon typical Felix callousness and Dimitri having a bit of an anxiety attack (unrelated to play).

The demonic beast screeches as it collapses to the ground. Its sides heave and limbs twitch as it takes its last breaths.

Finally though, it begins to dissolve.

Scraps of armor and shackles clatter to the ground as the flesh they were attached to blows away as fine black ash. Felix kicks at one of the shackles as he wipes off his blade. It had been around what amounted to the creature’s neck when it was still alive. A chain the length of his arm begins at a loop welded to the center and ends with a torn link. The ring at the end is large - big enough to slide over a human's head without being opened much. When the closure was tightened it might even still be doable. He sheaths his sword and picks it up, surprised by the weight of it. The thing they have just killed was a human once. There was no way of knowing if that person willingly used a crest stone to transform or not, but in the end someone else had put a collar on them to keep them under control. 

That certainly seems to have worked out well, Felix thinks, running his thumb over the twisted metal of the final link. The cruel looking runes carved into the metal are cold and quiet without anything in their thrall.

“Well.” Felix’s eyes flick over to where Dimitri is slowly standing, brushing ash out of his hair and off his fur mantle. “That was ah-- not my most graceful of attacks, shall we say.” He is trying to diffuse the tension with jokes. A habit he picked up after the second battle at Gronder.

“Downright beastly,” Felix deadpans. He hefts the chain, collar clinking from the end of it. “Maybe we should be putting this on you.” The air goes sour with new tension, as most of the group averts their gaze from Felix comparing the newly crowned king and savior of Fodlan to a demonic beast. No one reprimands him. No one ever does. Being a long time friend and now right hand of the king has its benefits.

Even Dimitri says nothing, but this time isn't just him turning the other cheek. His eye is tracking the swing of the collar from Felix’s hand - a hypnotically slow back and forth. The blue goes dark with an expression Felix doesn’t recognize.

He’s not sure why he keeps the beast collar - bringing it all the way back to Fhirdiad, where it is then tucked into a chest, under his bed.

As a trophy, he tells himself. Nevermind that Felix does not keep trophies.

He forgets about it, after weeks and weeks in the capital, tending to matters that leave him cutting with words far more often than a sword.

It was exhausting.

A bone deep kind of weary that sent him straight to his rooms afterward, instead of to the castle training grounds. That was where he stayed for the rest of the evening, with a book that Ashe had recommended (forcefully) and a pot of Almyran Pine tea.

He is over halfway through the book when there is a frantic knocking at his door. He lets the book fall backward, place held by his thumb, and waits.

The knocking comes again, even more insistent.

Grumbling, Felix sets the book aside on a table and strides over to his door, frustration coalescing with every step. He has a fierce scowl fixed in place by the time he throws it open.

“ _What_?”

Standing before him is none other than the king himself. When Felix had last seen him - just a few hours ago - he was nowhere near this sorry of a state. He is wearing a rumpled shirt and barefoot, and his hair is a wild mess, hanging loosely all in his face. His eyepatch is missing, completing the image of looking like he just stumbled out of bed. Even so, he offers a weak smile at seeing his advisor.

“F-Felix. I--” Dimitri’s eyes scrunch closed and his smile morphs into a grimace. He grabs at his himself with white-knuckled hands, holds his own arms in a way Felix is sure to leave bruises. “Please, they’re--”

Anxiety eats away at whatever anger had bubbled up from having his quiet evening disturbed.

“Speak plainly, boar.” Dimitri begins to tremble, hunching forward as though under an immense weight. His voice cracks.

“I can’t hold them back. Felix, I-- I _can’t--_ ” It’s a cold slash to his heart, the realization of what Dimitri is talking about. It spreads slowly, freezing his throat and rooting his tongue in place. Giving comfort has never been one of his strengths - that had only ever been fighting.

But even he couldn’t fight specters of the mind. It’s not like they would just _listen_ to being told to--

“Hold on,” he says and leaves Dimitri shaking in the doorway. He goes to his bed, kneeling beside it and moving things aside until he comes to the once forgotten chest. The collar sits inside as he left it, untouched. He lifts it out, kicking the now empty chest back under the bed.

Crossing the room back to the door feels both far too distant and much too short. The weight in his hand too much and too little.

“Boar.” He says, out of habit. Dimitri jerks to look at him, where he is leaned against the doorjamb. Felix bites his tongue, closing his eyes as he takes a long breath in. He tries again.

“ _Dimitri_.” The other man slightly inclines his head, in acknowledgement. Possibly gratitude, but he is so desperate at the moment that Felix is sure that any amount of attention would result in an expression of gratitude.

He holds up the collar, the quiet clink of the chain getting Dimitri’s attention even better than his own harsh words. His good eye is following the sway of the heavy chain, just like the day the beast was slain.

“If you can’t hold them back, then let something else do it.” Dimitri’s eye darts up to Felix’s face, flicking back and forth between him and the collar.

“Look, do you want my help or not?” Felix snaps, knowing it is too harsh and unable to gentle it. Dimitri grimaces again, shrinking in on himself. But after a moment he nods and ducks his head, offering it up to Felix. He lifts the collar up over Dimitri’s head and slides it down. The runes thrum to life and Dimitri whines, high and thready.

“Does it hurt?” Anxiety makes his voice sharp, hiding his concern. He gets a quick shake of messy blond hair in response.

“Then hush,” he says, twisting the closure to lock the collar. Instantly, Dimitri goes silent.

Huh. Effective.

“You need to stop thinking so much...” He growls quietly, making sure that the collar sits right and doesn’t catch on anything. Dimitri begins to still under his hands. “That’s what keeps getting you tangled up in all your damned ghosts.”

He takes hold of the collar at the front ring, using the leverage to pull Dimitri’s face close to his own.

“Now _breathe_.” And Dimitri takes the first substantial breath that Felix has seen. It is short and uneven, but still more than the shallow pants he had been stuttering out just a moment before. With each one he takes, his breathing evens out a little.

When they are coming smoothly, Felix slides his hand down the chain, giving it a little tug.

“Come on.”

Felix leads Dimitri over to his paired armchairs, letting go of the chain once he reaches the chair he abandoned to answer his door.

“Sit down.” Dimitri seems to take that to mean exactly where he stands, and folds down to kneel on the floor right in front of Felix.

“What? No, that’s not--” Felix sighs and leans forward to take up the chain again. “Here--”

No sooner does he say the word than does Dimitri list forward, all the weight of him pinning Felix’s legs against the chair.

“ _A_ _ugh_ , are you _kidding_ me--” When pushing at Dimitri’s bulk proves futile, Felix throws his hands up and lets the chain fall into his lap.

“Fine! Fine. Do what you want,” he huffs, retrieving his book. The weight against his knees shifts, as though Dimitri is sitting up. Felix immediately takes advantage to move his legs and position himself comfortably. As he settles back into his chair, finding his place in the book again, there is a clinking of metal chain links.

Cautiously, Felix lifts the book to check. At his feet, Dimitri blinks slowly, looking at the chain he has in one hand. Just as slowly, his gaze swivels upward to look at Felix. There’s some hazy recognition in the blue of his eye - like he’s half asleep.

Dimitri whuffs quietly and thumps his head down in Felix’s lap. 

Scowling, Felix slouches further in his seat to displace Dimitri’s sharp chin from his thigh to instead be cradled in the joint of his hip, and then hikes one leg up over Dimitri’s shoulder to keep him there. From his lap the blond hums happily, sliding his arms into the space made under Felix’s lower back to pull him closer.

Felix transfers the book to one hand to put the other on Dimitri's head. He had intended to just let it rest there, but his fingers start to move back and forth as he read, scratching lightly and combing through the mussed blond locks. Dimitri sighs contentedly, more of his weight slumping into Felix as he relaxes. Felix too, lets out a breath as his own shoulders ease.

“You’re fine,” he says, to no one. “Everything’s fine.”

Everything is fine for a while. Felix gets absorbed back into the book. He lets his tea go cold. With Dimitri slumped against him, he’s more than warm enough anyway.

He’s been combing through Dimitri’s hair this entire time, taming the snarls with his fingers as he smooths it all in one direction. Dimitri makes a small noise and rolls to face the other direction, letting out a long sigh.

The warmth of it spills across Felix’s lap and he closes his eyes and tightens his hand in Dimitri’s hair. The other man’s breath hitches for a moment, sensing Felix’s tension. He can feel the pull of Dimitri’s cheek against his leg as he smiles.

“Dimitri…” Felix warns, keeping a careful grip on the blond’s hair. Dimitri noses at the fabric of Felix’s pants, pulling it taut under his face. The gentle touches and teasing gusts of breath spread the heat across Felix’s skin, burning the air out of his lungs. All of his clothes suddenly feel too tight - not at all helped by the way Dimitri continues to nudge at the forming tent. 

That kind of release might be just what his evening was missing to let him actually unwind. Something slow and easy, with someone else doing most of the work? It’s a great temptation.

Then Dimitri opens his mouth wide, tilting his head further over Felix’s lap, and lets out a heavy breath - hot and wet--

Felix yanks him back by the hair.

“ _No_.” The blond snarls above him, teeth fully on display, but silent; the order to Hush still in effect. Felix glares into the blank ice blue of Dimitri's eyes for several long moments, letting the heat dissipate. A great temptation indeed, but his duty is as the Shield of Faerghus means defending the king, not taking advantage of him. Even if his last order to Dimitri was to do what he wanted.

He loosens his grip and guides Dimitri’s head back to his lap, carefully tucking it _away_ from himself.

“Not...tonight.” He says tightly. “Maybe some other time, but… not tonight.”

Dimitri whuffs again, gently rubbing his cheek on the waistband of Felix’s pants, but he does not try again. When it is clear that he will stay as Felix has placed him, Felix resumes petting his hair.

“Good boy.”

When Felix has finished the book, he can barely keep his eyes open. Dimitri is still tucked against his lap, exactly where he was left. Felix grabs his hair gently and gives him a little shake.

“Hey. Get up.” Dimitri obediently lifts his head and sits back, letting his arms slide limply to land in front of him. Felix pushes himself upright and bows his back, feeling it pop in several places. He’s got an awful crick in his neck, and he’s sure he’ll regret sitting like that for so long, but oh well. His hand gravitates to the chain, finding it easily.

“I’m gonna take this off now, okay?” Felix scowls a bit when he gets no response.

“Nod, if you understand me.” The blond closes his eyes and nods once, smoothly. Felix pulls him close again with the chain so he can lean in and unscrew the fastener as far out as it will go, yanking at the loose side to force it open as much as possible. As he lifts it over Dimitri’s head, he feels the spell snap like a popped seam. Dimitri blinks sleepily at him.

“Felix?”

“Yeah. You with me?” 

“Yes, I believe so.” Dimitri rubs at his good eye with the back of one hand. 

“ _Only_ you?” Dimitri takes a deep breath and looks down at his hands, clenching and unclenching them.

“Yes.” It’s firmer this time - more sure. The last bit of tension Felix was holding inside his chest slips out of him. 

“Okay.” He can’t bring himself to move, so he simply watches as Dimitri slowly stands, stretching out his legs as he does so. As the king lifts a hand to adjust his hair, Felix feels heat bubble up to the surface of his skin again. Very carefully, Dimitri runs his fingers through the same well worn path Felix’s had carved over the past several hours. When it is finished, Dimitri stares at his hand for a long moment.

“That was…” He starts, trailing off. He switches from staring at his hand to staring at Felix. “Thank you,” he finishes, not saying anything else.

Felix scoffs and looks away, crossing his arms. The chain jangles in his hand, where he is still holding the collar. The heat in his face intensifies.

“Yeah, well. You were a sorry sight. I had to do something.” 

“I will endeavor to be more composed, next time.” 

Next time?

His eyes flick back to Dimitri for just a moment. The king looks substantially more together than when he had arrived - standing at his full height, the line of his shoulders relaxed. There’s a fond smile tugging at one half of his mouth. Felix stands abruptly.

“I’m going to bed.” He announces. “Get out of my room.”

He purposely walks to his bed to retrieve the chest from under it, not looking at Dimitri. From behind him there is the soft sound of footsteps, and the even softer sound of what could be a chuckle.

“Good night, Felix.”

Felix scowls at the collar as he puts it back in its chest, not returning the farewell.

He does not put the chest back under the bed.

Instead, he carries it back to his sitting area, and places it next to the armchair, easily accessible.

For next time.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell with me on Twitter, @jk_rts!


End file.
